Former President Rodrigo Duterte declared at a Senate hearing that he would take “full, legal responsibility” for his administration’s war on drugs, while refusing to apologize for the campaign. Speaking before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, Duterte defended police officials who executed his directives, emphasizing that they were following orders and should not be held liable.
“I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my orders. I will be responsible and I should be the one imprisoned. Don’t blame the police who just followed my order,” Duterte stated, underscoring his intent to protect Filipinos through his hardline approach.
Duterte maintained that his mandate as president was to “protect the country and the Filipino people,” insisting he carried out the campaign “firmly and without compromise.” He stressed that the drug war aimed to safeguard the “innocent and defenseless” by eradicating illegal substances like shabu, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
While acknowledging drug users as victims needing treatment rather than punishment, Duterte did not waver on his orders for police to use lethal force if faced with armed resistance. “If there’s a gun and if you think you’re going to die, shoot the criminal in the head,” he said, adding that this stance was consistent with his teachings at the police academy.
From June 2016 to November 2021, government records show at least 6,200 drug suspects were killed in operations, though human rights groups estimate up to 30,000 fatalities, including unreported cases.